Do aluminum gas checks work as well as copper gas checks? Is one harder on bbl life than the other?
Do aluminum gas checks work as well as copper gas checks? Is one harder on bbl life than the other?
It's all chicken, even the beak!
I would like to know the answer also. I have tried both and to me it seems they work the same. But I haven’t tested for accuracy between the two. Just shot and never compared them side by side
My check maker is for .45 caliber rifle or pistol, depending on the punch, and a doubled over Pepsi can makes great checks. I haven't found any difference between the copper or aluminum checks. I have found that I can use the aluminum checks in my .44 if I'm careful about centering the boolit when I lube and size them.
Tom
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Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?
When I make checks I usually use aluminum. If the check in installed parallel, completely flat and won't come off I haven't found any difference. Since I powder coat the check is riding on the coating anyway, so no difference to the barrel.
Never tested for accuracy but did notice that the aluminum checks tended to come off in flight, would find them scattered along the flight path, 5-10 per hundred rounds. Copper, either Hornady or Gator did not. If this is true of all aluminum checks I don't know, these were 30 cal in 06 and 30/40 AI. I only had 1K of them and decided to stick with copper. FWIW the Lyman copper checks also came off, might find one or two in a hundred rounds.
I have heard that Aluminum gas checks tend to fly off too, maybe a dab of adhesive would help them stay on? I’m interested in making them, so I have an excuse for my drinking habit...
Check out my website www.theballisticassistant.com
Check out my website http://www.theballisticassistant.com/
A good reason to think about powder coating.
I double coat rifle bullets to create a polymer jacket for the alloy. After the first coat I set the check, the second coat creates a bond so the check is there to stay and will be found with the bullet. This is a photo of a 7mm the first coat was blue and second coat was a clear.
That's a great idea to powder coat a bullet twice. I'm going to try that.
Installed correctly my gas checks came off after going through 1/2" plywood.
I put two tumble coats on my boolits and I cracked my laminate top bench trying to size them in my lee sizing die. It took an act of god to size them. I had to hit the lever with my hand to pound them through. One coat not an issue. I bought an cheap lee press for a spare to mount to my metal bench out in the garage for future sizing tasks.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |